Colder, wetter weather moving into state this week

After a spring-like tease, the emerging weather pattern over Tennessee is a reminder that it’s still winter.

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By The Associated Press

Oakridger - Oak Ridge, TN

By The Associated Press

Posted Feb. 25, 2013 at 6:59 PM
Updated Feb 25, 2013 at 7:00 PM

By The Associated Press

Posted Feb. 25, 2013 at 6:59 PM
Updated Feb 25, 2013 at 7:00 PM

After a spring-like tease, the emerging weather pattern over Tennessee is a reminder that it’s still winter.

Some significant precipitation and much colder temperatures are moving into the state and there could be a bit of snow into the weekend in Middle and East Tennessee.

John Cohen, with the National Weather Service in Nashville, said a potent upper-level storm system that was dumping snow on the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles Monday would influence Tennessee’s weather.

However, Cohen said, the inches of snow coming down in the plains won’t happen in the Volunteer state.

“Given the track of that low, it’s going to move toward to the Missouri boot heel and into the Ohio Valley,” Cohen said. “That leaves Tennessee on the warmer side.”

The result, said Cohen, will be widespread rainfall that could exceed an inch in places, particularly in possible thunderstorms.

Rain on Monday afternoon in the Memphis region will overspread the state in the next couple of days as temperatures tumble from near 60 at Memphis to freezing or below by midweek across Tennessee.

As the rain moves through Middle Tennessee overnight Monday into Tuesday, forecasters said sustained winds around 15 mph were expected, but gusts up to 40 mph would be likely.

From the Tennessee River eastward, a mixture of rain and snow is possible by Wednesday night.

The energy waves continue as the temperature drops and there could be snow on the ground by the weekend.